Aftermath
by cjulina
Summary: After destroying the cyberwoman, the Torchwood team has to decide Ianto's fate.


**Two hours after the death of the cyberwoman**

"Well?" Jack's voice was almost violent as he posed the question.

Owen's answer was instantaneous. "Execution. I even volunteer to put the bullet in the traitor's brain."

"Retcon," Tosh said after a moment.

"You must be kidding! He conned us. Nearly brought about the end of human race. And you think he should just get a few years wiped away so he can live out the rest of his life happily ever after? You're a bloody fool, Tosh!"

Her eyes flashed angrily. "That may be, Owen, but I can't condone murdering Ianto. And that's what it would be so I vote for retconning him."

"Gwen?"

She didn't bother to look towards Jack, instead she continued to look out the glass conference room walls. Her gaze unmoving from the young man whose fate was now under discussion. "Retcon, I guess."

"You guess? You nearly got converted into a cyberman!" Owen snarled. "And let's not forget the two bodies we have to deal with because of his deception."

"I know," was Gwen's fatigued reply. "I just ... I'm too exhausted to think about it right now."

Jack nodded before joining her at the glass wall. He studied Ianto seated on the scruffy sofa on the main floor of the hub. "Three days. In three days, we'll meet back here to decide his fate. In the meantime, go home, get some sleep. Do whatever it is you do when you aren't here."

Gwen placed a concerned hand on his arm. "And Ianto?"

"He'll stay in a cell until then."

**Four hours after the death of the cyberwoman**

Gwen trudged up the stairs to her flat, every step weighted with exhaustion, with guilt, with uncertainty. She kept turning over and over in her head the dilemma she faced. _Can I do this? Can I pass judgment on him? How can I sentence him to death or, even worse, decree that he lose every memory of the person he loved so much?_

She turned the corner into her flat. The lights were dimmed and yet the room blazed with the glow of candlelight. On every available surface sat a softly burning candle. Gwen inhaled, the subtle smell of peach helped to soothe some of her tension. "Rhys? What's with the candles?"

His head popped out of the kitchen. "You sounded so depressed when you rang to tell me you were on your way home. Thought you could use the pick me up."

"But your allergies. You know that the smell from the peach candles makes you miserable."

Rhys came up to her, wrapping her in a big, comforting hug. "What matters is that you like them. I can deal with the sneezing, the runny nose, and watery eyes if it means I can see you smile a little." As if on cue, he sneezed.

"Oh, you big oaf!" She had to fight to keep from tearing up. "I appreciate it and it is helping a little." She couldn't stop herself from deeply inhaling the peach scented air.

He let her go and twirled his finger, indicating she should turn around. Once she had complied, he helped her take off her jacket. "Now to the bath with you. Soak as long as you like while I finish with dinner."

Gwen was not surprised to find the bathroom was also alight with the glow of peach candles. Rhys had already laid out a towel, her favorite comfort clothes, and a small wrapped box. She opened the box to discover a bottle of ridiculously expensive bath oil. The exact brand that she had always secretly wanted to buy but couldn't justify the ludicrous cost for such a trivial luxury.

She set the tub filling and poured in an injudicious amount of the oil before stripping out of her clothes. The soak was glorious, the scent of the candles soothing, the feel of the high end bath oil exquisite and yet Gwen had trouble enjoying it. She kept seeing flashes of her time in the conversion unit. The razor sharp instruments lowering down, preparing to rip her humanity from her.

Just as she was about to start panicking from the memory that continually replayed, she heard Rhys call out, "Stay in there much longer and you'll prune up. Plus dinner will get cold."

"Coming." Gwen quickly dried off and threw on her favorite ratty flannel trousers and the oversized cotton shirt. She blinked in surprise when she wandered back into the living room. The small table that they never used for meals had been set with the 'fancy' plates that were only used for special occasions. Two silver candlesticks with tall tapers were expertly placed on either side of a beautiful bouquet. "What's this?"

"Can't a bloke take care of his gal when she's having a bad day?" He gave her a soft, caring kiss. "Now sit so I can serve the first course."

She sat, incredibly touched by his thoughtfulness. Rhys appeared with two bowls and set them onto the plates. She looked down in surprise. "Cawl? You hate cawl."

"But you love it."

"I can't believe you made cawl for me. Thank you."

He grinned. "I made all your favorites. Well, not sewin only because I didn't have time to run to the fish market but all your other favorites."

Until that moment, Gwen hadn't realized how hungry she was. And the aroma of cawl had her quickly digging into the thick broth and relishing all the soothing memories that came with it. It was probably her favorite comfort food of all but never asked for it because Rhys despised it so.

Rhys didn't speak during the meal but let his presence be known in more subtle ways. A soft touch here, a quick squeeze of her hand there. He knew her so well. There were times when she was upset and wanted to discuss her problems. And there were times, like now, when she just wanted to be quiet and surround herself with silence.

_He loves me. There's nothing he wouldn't do for me._ For just a moment, she imagined the cyberman, but in place of Lisa, she saw Rhys' face encased in the silver metal. In that instant, she had her answer. "I'd never give up on you."

"Eh?" Rhys was clearly puzzled.

She stood up, bent over and kissed him with all the love in her heart. "I would never give up on you, Rhys Williams. Now let's go to bed."

Grinning broadly, Rhys followed her into the bedroom.

**One day after the death of the cyberwoman**

Tosh was in the same spot she'd been in since arriving home the day before. Hugging her knees closer, she tried to wedge herself even tighter into the corner. It was not something that she had done for years. In fact, she had not tried to comfort herself this way since shortly after Jack had rescued her from UNIT's clutches.

A shiver passed through her as she fought against those memories. Panic nearly overwhelmed her in the silence of her flat. While imprisoned, she had discovered there was a comfort in sitting in a corner. The two walls converging behind offered the illusion of protection, and the press of walls could almost feel like reassuring arms reaching around. A morsel of solidity in a world that had been anything but.

_I was incarcerated by UNIT for trying to save my mother. I risked everything for her. If not for Jack, I would still be rotting in that cell. Now I have my life, my memories, a job I love, my freedom, and, if I'm careful, can speak with my family. How can I decide Ianto's fate when Torchwood showed me mercy for doing exactly the same thing he did?_

After a day of agonizing indecision, Tosh defiantly stood, crossed to her laptop and activated the program that allowed her to make untraceable phone calls.

After making sure the program was working properly, she dialed a number into her mobile. Her soft voice sounded as soon as she heard someone pick up. "Mummy. It's Toshiko.

**Two days after the death of the cyberwoman**

Despite that this was the first time he'd been back since the funeral, Owen unerringly headed to a particular headstone. His uneven gait weaved dangerously, and he stumbled a few times as he tried to walk while swigging from a nearly empty whiskey bottle.

He dropped the rucksack he'd been carrying on the ground and chugged down the last of the booze. He tossed the bottle carelessly aside. "Cheers!"

He bent down, nearly toppling over from the effort, and unzipped the rucksack. He grabbed randomly from the many bottles hidden inside the bag. Tequila this time.

While unscrewing the cap, he bent towards the gravestone. "I'm a little bit drunk. No, that's not true. I'm a LOT drunk." He tipped back the bottle, guzzling down a good portion of the contents. With a grimace, he slurred, "Never did like tequila but it was your favorite so I always keep a bottle on hand." He lifted his free hand and almost petted the glass shape. "So I'm reminded of you. Not that I need to be reminded. All I have to do is fall asleep and there you are."

"Sorry I haven't visit. Wanted to but couldn't for some reason." His voice faded off and he stared almost blindly at the landscape around him. "Guess you're wondering why I'm here now." He took another swallow of the tequila. "Gotta make a decision. Gotta decide what to do about the teaboy."

"I already said I want him dead and I still do but not for the reasons everyone thinks." He looked down at the headstone and finally let the tears start to fall. "I want him dead cause he got a choice! He got to choose between protecting the planet or saving the woman he loved."

Owen collapsed to the ground, wrapping his arms tightly around the cool stone monument. "Why didn't I get that choice, Katie? Because if it had been a choice of saving you or saving the world, I would have torn this planet apart with my bare hands. I would have saved you!"

He sobbed, letting his tears pour down Katie's headstone. "Why didn't I get the chance to save you?"

**Three days after the death of the cyberwoman**

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Gwen said with resolve. Tosh nodded her firm agreement.

Jack turned to Owen. "And you?"

His voice raw, "Yeah. Just keep him away from me. Don't know what I'll do if I see the filthy traitor."

"Okay. You're dismissed. I'll take care of it."

Owen and Tosh quickly departed. Gwen lingered, walking over to stand next to Jack who was starring out into the hub.

"This is what you wanted us to decide all along."

He didn't look at her as he asked, "Is it?"

"Yeah," she said as she tilted her head towards him. "I think it is. You needed our agreement because it wouldn't work otherwise. We'd constantly question your decision. I get that. But what I don't get is why? You threatened to kill Ianto that night. You ordered him to execute Lisa or you'd execute them both. So why the change of heart?"

Jack just shrugged and departed without another word. _Why indeed? Ianto nearly destroyed the human race but at least he did it for a worthy reason. Love. He loved Lisa so much that he was willing to risk everything._

_I don't even have an altruistic reason to give for when I nearly wiped out the human race. Greed and wanting to screw over the Time Agency almost turned every person into gas mask zombies. If not for a Time Lord with a goofy grin and a council estate girl with a heart of compassion, I would never have been able to redeem myself._

Jack couldn't stop recalling what happened the first time he stepped inside the Tardis.

"It's bigger on the inside."

"You'd better be."

_He gave me a second chance when there was nothing worthy in what I did. How can I not give Ianto another chance when his misguided actions were at least for an admirable purpose?_

Jack slowly opened the cell door. "Ianto, you are officially suspended for the next month. Here's your chance to prove that you're bigger on the inside. Don't disappoint me."


End file.
